Footwear last and method of assembly thereon



1953 1.. H. LHOLLIER FOOTWEAR LAST AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLY THEREON Filed June 20, 1951 JrzL/EnfaL Leslie H'LHUZEEE flaw w.

Patented Oct. 13, 1953 ASSEMBLY T ms'r Annmmon or men Leslie. H. .Lffiollienu lNewto .Mmw mar. at. The/B. ,E. mfibodrichwcomlgng hlew Ynnbbl. X: a summation .0! New York lnnllcation lunom, 1951; mine-mum:

H nds inaction 1&8181'85'1139; aiootmear end last m ly and pentainsmoreznanticulerlytoeiast pon :fodtmanrbe and a wetland of making: iontweag;

It :is. en abjectuofi this invention to-mavidem lasts-1mm which foot-near mat-Ming .-:a gusset-41m tnansidn member may be constructed.

L11; isslso nn nbiect of this invention to promdewe last adapted :to :xrmintain n usset-tyne expansion member in an articlenf footwearmounted @nithelastdn :a normal :ifoldied or elosed condition.

Anothennbjectmt thiszzmivention :is. to provide 3-.lQOl'1-Yfiflii3flt'iflfld emmndcal :methodiof homing e rgusset tme esp in articles of footwear;

iqthcmohieets of: this. invention will :he supper-- ent: 11mm :the; mscrintion and drawings which fQlJW:

Incthe censtmctim ofrrcentainnntinles-of not-- wear, such as bootsyovcershcesygaiiters" and; the like, it :has been found :desimhle tnlincorporaite thenein an ezpamsinnmemberztor the purpose nf pemniiztingarticle of: rfootwesr to: be easilypulledionor removed from zthe aiootz and yet pmsiding an article of iootmearwhiclr tie-capable of: closely encomm'ssing -the,-:1oot while this being worn. At gnsset-etync expansion member contructedzimthempn r pm hootzonshoe. hasrpxoven:

panticirlarly'zsatisfactory'nut onlysfazomsthe stanfl point of convenience in. nuttingsnn and remov ing; ithei heat or shoe also because is typeuexpansion imembermaiv :hcfiormed as an fint'egml anon-don of. the upper of the :or shoe whether *ittbe; the front, back or: side portion of; the upper pmvidmg' an sinner which may be tree :of openings: and

it the material; @mm which the sum-is made-is:

constructed of a. vusleimizazble "nuhber material:

which mayhe reinfonced with fabric includes: forming the upper otzthe boot orshoe inton con figuration eoniformingto the content of a foot, slitting the uppers-long 1a zonewhiehvisdesiredto he expansibl'e and stitching an mansion gusset to -the margins of the shifted portion of the upper; a method which==is upenmeand. time? :z-m; Mules-nimble; :mbher material 'mmch may be resinforced with fahnleeomnnlses, f-fnld mg gnsset into thegpretonmed :unner and immunizing: the rubber. :m aterial molding: into otiiomnmgzaigussetdm emunbon sheets-mot nomnletelyrsatisractomihomems inxthat the sweet is flmsmently distorted 112mm: dts =desired configure,- tion during-athe-wflcantmtlmrnnenatiommomosilore hnewn forming nqgusseth-in 100tmeazr .w-mamz as'lssttnmn which the boot,

onshoecis-nenatnudted' whichmaintains the gussetainthe tiesh edxeonflguratinnnt all timesldur- :ihevvulcan'izine: omsetting; operation providmotwem' mithesansset type which zls pleasing imappce azndtoapahle =01? :closely encompassin theztootnf the-wearer.

)Fkn nicleenen 'imderst-sndingyoi thissinvention one edit :the invention is vshown and; dd, shewener fitrwlll. be: understood thetit ismenely :tmvthe man flf illustration and; that: I do not intend to limit this inventionutothis embodiment Initheidmmings:

sem'hileduonin lastembo this invention;

Fig; is: a, :side elevntim view partly broken ways! :the-

m; .3:ris san-ml1arged::neni;ien 011211118 3-3 of Elg. ii-is :a'perspactiwe view ot an auxiliary :form.

" memher within: the of this invention;

and l mg; 5: is ,arplan' -wiew-nf the last of. Fig. 1. mshownm thednowmgsn getter Wadazpted to cover the foot ankleof wearer is mountedon a last H- 'resembhng in contour a foot'andthe-general contour of ga'iter- Ill.

Gaiter I-Oiis constructed of a flexible resilient rubbery material]! reinforced. with fabric 1'3,

4 such as a square-woven i'nbricmaterial, and has included in. its upper 11} a .g usset IS which enables. upper to be. extended, facilitating the weanen in nulling onunndmmovingugaiter In from the foot. Gusset l5 extending over the instep Mamet il-l nssshown rlnflfigpa, consists ing members l6, l6 which are detachably secured to last -I I, one end ll of each rod [6 being bent to fit into an opening I8, H3 in the upper marginal portion of last H and the other end 29 of each rod It being inserted in opening 29 centrally located at about the'mid-vamp portion 21 of last [I and adjacent to and directly beneath the apex 22 of gusset l5. As shown in Fig. 3, each rod [6 extends through a fold 23, 23 of gusset along the invaginating edge 24 thereof con-- tinually urging each fold 23 toward the other and toward'last ll maintaining gusset l5 in a normal closed condition, rods l6, 3 being preferably formed of a springy material,- such as spring steel or drawn metal wire.

A relatively stiff auxiliary form member 25' disposed between folds 23, 23 and midportion 28 of gusset l5 and held securely in place by rods l5, l6 imparts the desired contour to midportion 26 of gusset I5 and providesedges 21, 21 around which upper -l4 may be folded in forming gusset [5. Form member 25 may be formed'of any relatively rigid material such as metal, fabric or paper reinforced and stiffened with an appropriate sizing material, or the like.

A preferred method of constructing gusset-type footwear within the purview of this invention is to drape the preformed upper M over last i! and last a sole member 28 to the bottom margins'of upper l4. Form'member 25 is positioned over the portion of upper M which constitutes midportion 26 of gusset I5 and upper I4 is folded around form member 25 and folded back on itself to produce folds 23, 23, as shown in Fig. 3. A rod I6 is extended between the opposing faces of each fold 23 and the lower ends 29, 29 of rods l6, 16 are inserted in opening 20. The other end ll of each rod I8 is then inserted in the appropriate opening it, as shown in Fig. l, and the assembly is vulcanized to mold the galter into the desired configuration.

During the molding or vulcanizing operation the gusset is maintained in its normally closed configuration until the rubbery material included in the gaiter is vulcanized to a desired state after which the rods and form member may be removed and the gaiter stripped from the last. The vulcanizing process permanently molds the gusset to a configuration normally biased towards a closed condition, as shown'in Fig; 3, without additional reinforcement bein required, although suitable securing means 30 may be constructed in upper it in the usual manner,.so that the gusset will be maintained in a closed condition as the wearer distorts the upper in walking.

My invention provides a method of forming a gusset in an article of footwear which insures that the gusset will not be distorted from its desired contour during the vulcanization or mold-.

ing process providing an article pleasing in appearance and readily marketable.

A last for building footwear within the purview of this invention provides a method of conveniently and economically forming a gusset in a boot or shoe upper.

It is clear that obvious variations and modifica-' tions of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A last for footwear comprising a body member having the general contour of an article of footwear, and at least one relatively rigid elongated restraining member extending externally along the face of said body member from its upper portion to its lower portion, each end of each said restraining member being detachably securedto said body member.

2. A last forfootwear comprising a body member having the general contour of a foot, at least one relatively rigid elongated restraining member extending externally along the face of said body member from its upper portion to its lower portion, means for securing an end of each said restraining member to said upper portion of said body member, and means for securing the opposite end of each said restraining member to said lower portion of said body member.

3. A last for footwear comprising a body member having the general contour of an article of footwear, and a pair of relatively rigid elongated restraining members extending externally along the face of said body member from its upper por tion to its lower portion, the ends of each said restraining member being cletachably secured to said body member.

4. A last for footwear comprising a body member having the general contour of a foot, a' pair of relatively rigid elongated restraining members extending externally along the front face of said body member from its upper marginal portion to about its mid-vamp portion, means for secur ing the upper ends of said restraining members to the upper marginal portion of said body member, and mean for securing the opposite ends of said restraining members to said body member at about its mid-vamp portion.

5. A last for footwear comprising a body mem her having the general contour of an article of footwear, said body member having a centrally located opening in its front face at about midvamp height and having a pair of openings in the front face of its upper marginal portion spaced one on either side of said body member, and a pair of relatively rigid elongated rod-like restraining members extending externally along the front face of said body member in a converging relationship from the said upper marginal portion of said body member to about the mid-vamp portion of said body member, the upper end of one said restraining member extending into one of said openings located in said upper marginal portion and the upper end of the other said restraining member extending intov the other said opening located in said upper marginal portion and the lower ends of said restraining members both extending into the said opening in the front face of said body member centrally located at about mid-' vamp height.

6. The method of making an article of footwear" having a gusset therein which comprises assembling over a last an upper member having an outwardly flared portion, disposing a relatively rigid auxiliary form member over the portion of said upper member which forms the midportion of said gusset, folding said upper member over the outer face of said form member to form the folds of said gusset, disposing a relatively rigid elongated restraining member between the opposing faces of each said fold along its invaginating margin, and securing oneend of each said restraining member to said last at a zone adjacent to and directly beneath the apex of said gusset and the opposite end of each said restraining member to said last at its upper marginal portion.

'7 The method of making an article of footwear having a gusset therein which comprises disposing over a last a vulcanizable upper member having an outwardly flared portion, disposing a relatively rigid form member having the general contour of the midportion of said gusset over the portion of said upper member which forms the midportion of said gusset, folding said upper member over opposing edges and over the outer face of said form member to form the opposing folds of said gusset, disposing a relatively rigid elongated rod-like restraining member between the opposing faces of each said fold along its invaginating margin, inserting one end of each said restraining member in an opening in said last at a zone adjacent to and directly beneath the apex of said gusset and inserting the other end of each said restraining member in separate spaced openings in the upper marginal portion of said last, and vulcanizing the assembly.

8. The method of making an article of footwear having a gusset extending over the instep portion of said article terminating at about mid-vamp height which comprises disposing over a last a vulcanizable upper member having an outwardly flared instep portion, disposing a relatively rigid auxiliary form member having the general contour of the midportion of said gusset over the outer face of the portion of said upper member which forms said midportion of said gusset, urging said form member against said last over the instep portion thereof with said midportion of said gusset interposed therebetween and in contacting relationship with said last, folding said upper member over opposing margins and over the outer face of said form member to form the opposing folds of said gusset, disposing a relatively rigid elongated rod-like restraining member between the opposing faces of each said fold along its invaginating margin, inserting the lower end of each said restraining member in an opening centrally located in said last at about midvamp height and adjacent to and directly beneath the apex of said gusset and inserting the other ends of said restraining member in separate openings located in the upper marginal portion of said last spaced one on either side of said last, and vulcanizing the assembly.

9. The method of making an article of footwear having a gusset therein which comprises assembling over a last a vulcanizable upper member having an outwardly flared portion and including a vulcanizable rubbery material, disposing a relatively rigid form member over the portion of said upper member which forms the midportion of said gusset, folding said upper member over the outer face of said form member to form the folds of said gusset, disposing a relatively rigid elongated restraining member between the opposing faces of each said fold along its invaginating margin, securing one end of each said restraining member to said last at a zone adjacent to and directly beneath the apex of said gusset and the opposite end of each said restraining member to said last at its upper marginal portion, and vulcanizing the assembly.

10. A last for footwear comprising a body member having the general contour of an article of footwear and a pair of relatively rigid elongated restraining members extending externally along the front face of said body member from its upper marginal portion to about its mid-vamp portion and converging toward each other as they extend from said upper to said lower portions of said body member, the ends of each said restraining member being detachably secured to said body member.

LESLIE H. LHOLLIER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,369,260 Morrill Feb. 22, 1921 1,453,317 Fitz May 1, 1922 1,899,754: Glidden Feb. 28, 1933 2,432,174 Rollman Dec. 9, 1947 

